Apologies in advance for the length of this long (and slightly late) post. I'm not a doc, but I did quite a bit of research before submitting to the "flap-and-zap", including talking extensively with a colleague who is a doctor and represents a laser manufacturer.
I had very successful bi-lateral LASIK earlier this year, and would recommend it to the "right" patient. I went from being off-the-charts nearsighted (20/1000 vision? couldn't see the big E, coudn't even see the poster the big E is on, you get the picture), with moderate astigmatism to a good, clear 20/20 in both eyes. Had the surgery on Thursday, and was back at work on Monday with very little problem.
Whether you are a good candidate for PRK or LASIK fundamentally involves a number of items: how thick is your cornea, how large are your pupils, how strong is your prescription. Successful surgery also depends on the skill of the surgeon, the sophistication of the software running the laser, the type of laser, the optical zone that the laser treats, etc.
Unlike PRK, which involves directly ablating the surface of the eye, LASIK involves cutting a flap, ablating the surface under the flap, and then replacing the flap. The healing time is generally quicker than with PRK, although there are folks that would argue that PRK doesn't destroy the integrity of the cornea like LASIK does (the question is whether the flap ever truly adheres to the surface again). And yes, with LASIK, you get to wear funky eye guards at night for at least a week, to prevent you from inadvertently dislodging the flap. Some doctors give plastic shields that you stick on with surgical tape. My doctor prefers goggles.
Just so you can have a true picture of the things that *can* go wrong (as the result of a bad practitioner, bad equipment, or doing the procedure on someone who isn't really a good candidate), you should check out the following web sites:
www.surgicaleyes.org
www.lasermyeye.org
These sites have some pretty horrific stories. Surgical Eyes is basically a support group for patients with bad results from refractive surgery, and many of the board participants will proclaim that anyone considering refractive surgery is an idiot. Lasermyeye is a bit more balanced in tone.
I would also highly recommend avoiding any outfit that is a "lasik mill". These folks have been known to recommend RS to people with prescriptions as low as -.25. If I had had this tiny amount of correction, I would never have even considered surgery.
These centers usually own their own equipment, and are paying for it even if it isn't being used. My doctor "rents" laser time from a major teaching hospital that has the most up to date equipment, and participates in FDA trials. If she isn't using the laser, she isn't paying for it.
There's a number of lawsuits against practitioners for using the wrong "card" to program the laser, for not using new blades (to cut the flap) for each patient, for leaving metal debris under the flap (ewwww), and other screw-ups that eventually require cornea replacements. The issue of whether patients had truly given informed consent is the topic of another discussion.
While this isn't to say that such an accident can't happen to non lasik mill practitioners, lasik mills generally charge a la carte for services (that's why you see the $299 per eye specials), and may not be interested in continuing with follow-up services.
If you are considering RS, you should be aware that the newest laser technology has the ability to "custom map" the cornea. Thus, even if you and Joe Eyepatch have an identical (or eye-dentical!) glasses prescription of -4.0, the custom mapping technology will account for the differences in the shape of your corneas in determining the ablation pattern. Also, the latest laser technology has a tracking feature, which will automatically shut down the laser if you move your eyeball.
That is all.
P_E
edited because apparently my surgery didn't go as well as I thought and didn't see the typos. . .
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